Immediate Pain Relief in Adhesive Capsulitis by Acupuncture-A Randomized Controlled Double-Blinded Study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Pain Management
• Integrative Medicine

Background:

• Adhesive capsulitis (AC), or frozen shoulder, is a debilitating condition characterized by severe pain and restricted shoulder movement.
• The condition typically progresses through three stages over a period of up to 21 months, with pain being most severe in the initial stages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of distal needling acupuncture in managing pain associated with primary adhesive capsulitis.
• To compare the effectiveness of acupuncture integrated with conservative therapy versus conservative therapy alone in accelerating recovery from AC.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, patient- and observer-blinded, placebo-controlled study involving 60 volunteers with primary AC.
• Participants were assigned to receive acupuncture with press tack needles or press tack placebos, followed by an open-label phase with classical needle acupuncture.
• A specific distal needling technique was employed, targeting reflex areas on extremities rather than local shoulder points.

Main Results:

• Acupuncture with press tack needles showed an immediate improvement in the Constant-Murley Shoulder Score (CMS) pain subscore (3.3 points) compared to placebos (1.6 points).
• Conservative therapy combined with classical needle acupuncture significantly reduced pain subscores in 14.9 weeks, versus 30.9 weeks for conservative therapy alone.
• The study confirmed the suitability of press tack needles and placebos for double-blind acupuncture research.

Conclusions:

• Distal needling acupuncture is effective for immediate pain reduction in patients with adhesive capsulitis.
• Integrating acupuncture with conservative therapy offers superior outcomes in the recovery timeline for AC compared to conservative treatment alone.
• The findings support the use of acupuncture as an adjunct therapy for frozen shoulder management.